Culture and New Media Technologies
Webblog.Yong Ming Kow

The Self versus Collective Object: Core cultural differences between the U.S. and China

Here's a common Chinese idiomic expression for you to ponder:

独乐乐不如众乐乐 Du Le Le Bu Ru Zhong Le Le

I long had difficulties translating this. On Baidu.com, I found several translations:

Entertain everyone rather than yourself.
Alone joyfully was inferior to everybody is joyful.
Enjoying alone is no better than enjoying together.

正心 - 关怀的目的

现代社会奖励人的自私。你努力的酬劳是自己的;由你自己决定如何分配。你可以关心别人。但你会发现关心过后,你往往不但得不到利益,有时还别人占便宜。那么关怀在我们社会就没有意义了吗?

能说没有,也能说有。没有 - 是因为我们付出的物资,时间,和感情拿不回来。有时还会付出当初没有考虑到的。有 - 是因为我们在关怀的过程中会把心思放在别人身上。因而得到对别人,对社会更深入的了解。这就是正心。

正心是孔子说的。它是修身齐家治国的基础。正直的心,必定拥有正知见。而正知见,则必定来自对人和事物深刻的了解。

一个人,如果常常为自己着想,必定会把很多心思放在自己身上。或许这样能得到更多眼前的利益。然,别人不比你笨。你能想到的别人一样想得到。有一天,你也会被他人占便宜。若要能够生活的好,我们就必须更深刻的了解社会的运作,人与人的相处之道。而途径便是关怀他人。

用关怀来切入培养正心,这是古人一直以来提倡的。固然有法家这种比较暴力的社会理论,但以法治国也是没办法的事。因为社会还没成熟到人人能自主关怀他人。用关怀培养正心,说到来必定会是自己最为受益。因为你在生活中会因为你的正见而做出恰当的选择。但与其说它是自私的,倒不如说是互利的。你好,他人也好。

科学与艺术

科学和艺术不同。但就未必胜过艺术对社会的透视力。这是科学家们需要检讨的。

比如周杰伦有很多歌拥有很美的歌词。 说:“一盏离愁孤灯伫立在窗口。”离愁怎么会是一盏呢?是因为眼见到了灯,而心却见到了离愁。这是将心比灯,感到了孤独。这个感觉持续好久,所以用伫立来表示。

如歌词,好的艺术创作能把事与心融合在一起。科学写作就未必能有这种宽度。能对社会的事实探讨宽度就因此减少。

Culture as Infrastructure

When we have to solve an on-going problem within any human group, the sophisticated individuals tended to give technological solutions. Even when the problem is say, so and so has a bad temper, we would refer that person to a psychiatrist, who would give pills or procedures sanctioned by “science.” These “technologies” are easy to sell, both as an idea to investors and for people to take actions. However, many technological interventions have little effects on solving the issues.

Psychology for East Asia?

East Asian scholars have been quick in adopting western models of science. For me, rather too ceremonially. From primary, secondary, or university education in East Asia, you would find curriculum very similar to the west. This is good, for instance, to prepare these graduates in serving U.S., English, or other western corporations. They are familiar with the western division of knowledge - maths, chemistry, physics, politics, sociology, psychology, business, and finance. However, why do we study psychology as a discipline that is differentiated from business?

How ethnography is different from usability studies?

My six years spent in Human Computer Interaction meant that I am familiar with statistical/mathematical approaches to solving scientific problems. I spent the latter part of those years diving into ethnography, and my PhD doing all that.

State of Play 2009 and some discussion with colleagues from engineering background revealed a lot of gaps in understanding of ethnographic and statistical/mathematical to problem solving. These, I wish to discuss.

I am a practical! - when it comes to anthropology

I am a practical anthropologist. This may conjure Singapore's ex-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's realist ideology. Lee did not adopt beliefs of the western worlds. Rather, he picked the ones that work. For instance, in the creation of Singapore Airlines, he spelled out clearly that it has to be "competitive and self-supporting; it would close down if it incurred loses." Lee was not going to create a "flag carrier" like other countries did (Lee. 2000).

A new beginning: Kowski's diary

The acceptance of our book chapter (Bonnie and I) in a book on Virtual Worlds, edited by William Bainbridge, program director at NSF, kind of painted a clear direction for my scientific career. Culture + Virtual Worlds (VW), these two terms resonance throughout a great deal of my recent (2 years) writings. This new website, a remake from the older kowym.com, marked this transition.

Gaming companies as creators almighty?

“游戏中各种虚拟物品(包括但不限于游戏角色、游戏币、道具等),其所有权归网易公司所有,用户只能在合乎法律规定和游戏规则的情况下使用”
“All virtual artifacts in the game (including character, gold, items, etc), belongs to Netease, and users can only use them in accordance to the game rules and regulations."

This is the rules and regulations set by Netease in their most popular game (before WoW) - Da Hua Xi You II. And this player is wondering why should gaming companies own their belongings. http://bbs.yezizhu.com/viewthread.php?tid=1575192

And I am beginning to feel unease about the current state of virtual worlds.

Why firefox is the best browser

And this is what Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols a so called "Cyber Cynic," has to say when he compared Firefox, Chrome, and IE.

...its software ecosystem... There are hundreds of useful Firefox extensions out there and they make Firefox more than just a browser. With Xmarks (formerly Foxmarks) and the Google Toolbar for Firefox, I can do more with Firefox than I can with the other browsers.

Too bad there is only one WoW, if there are multiple versions, I bet who wins the heart of addon authors wins the users.